Santana Reportedly Had To Be Talked Into Teaming With Ortiz At AEW All In

The falling out between former tag team partners Santana and Ortiz has been well-publicized in recent months, with the pair formerly known as LAX and Proud & Powerful no longer on friendly terms behind the scenes. Santana was sidelined for 12 months due to a serious knee injury, before making his return in the lead-up to the All In pay-per-view, which saw him loosely aligned with alongside the Blackpool Combat Club in the Stadium Stampede match.

According to the latest report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Santana had to be "talked into" working alongside his former teammate at Wembley Stadium, with both men rarely sharing the screen together during the match or in the lead-up segments on television. The Observer revealed the root of their issues, with Santana reportedly unhappy with his position in AEW and hopeful of parting ways with the company, however, his contract was extended due to the injury layoff. On the flip side, Ortiz was content earning a steady paycheck with the promotion, leading to the tension between both men.

The off-screen drama between Santana and Ortiz spilled over to social media last week, with both men trading barbs with each other over the nature of their split. The Observer claimed that at this stage, the former Impact World Tag Team Champions are not slated for a feud on AEW programming. During the absence of his former tag partner, Ortiz was rarely utilized by the company after a short storyline with Eddie Kingston.